Pubdate: Sat, 29 May 1999 Source: Tampa Tribune (FL) Copyright: 1999, The Tribune Co. Contact: http://www.tampatrib.com/ Forum: http://tampabayonline.net/interact/welcome.htm Author: Gary Sprott, The Tampa Tribune Note: Gary Sprott covers legal issues and can be reached at (813) 259-7837 INFORMANT WHO SUCCUMBED TO DRUGS SENTENCED TAMPA - A man who robbed banks to pay for his drug habit while working as a confidential informant for St. Petersburg narcotics detectives was sentenced Friday to more than 10 years in federal prison. Charles D. Combs also was ordered to repay the more than $19,000 he stole from eight St. Petersburg banks and must complete three years of supervised release once his prison term ends. In return for Combs pleading guilty to one count each of bank robbery and using a firearm, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss eight other counts. Combs, 29, a former cruise director, was arrested last summer. He testified that his problems began in the mid-1990s when he offered to provide police with information about drug activity in south St. Petersburg. Combs told U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew that he wanted to help police clean up his neighborhood. He said the stress of his informant work, however, led him to begin using crack cocaine. Prosecutors dismissed that scenario, saying Combs had used illegal drugs as far back as high school. They said narcotics detectives never knew Combs had begun using drugs again. Bucklew said she was distressed that Combs seemed unwilling to accept responsibility. "Obviously, you blame the St. Petersburg Police Department for the predicament you're in," she said. "You robbed eight banks ... No one twisted your arm to get you into drugs. "The majority of what you're suffering from is your drug addiction," Bucklew said. "Your drug and alcohol addiction, I should say." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D